PRESS RELEASE
PR No. EBB- 06 - 2021
Jeddah PCG honors OFW Mr. Fortunato “Atoy” Esguerra for his Outstanding Contributions
Jeddah, 22 March 2021 – The Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah (Jeddah PCG) honored today Mr. Fortunato “Atoy” Esguerra who, for many years, has been a stalwart advocate of the welfare of OFWs in Jeddah.
Consul General Edgar B. Badajos thanked Mr. Esguerra, who worked at the Radiology/MRI department of the Dr. Erfan and Bagedo General Hospital in Jeddah, for his tireless and genuine support to Jeddah PCG in promoting and protecting the welfare of Filipinos in Jeddah. For decades, Mr. Esguerra has assisted countless distressed OFWs, particularly in their medical concerns. Consul General Badajos awarded certificates of appreciation to Mr. Esguerra, citing not only his support to the Consulate but also his invaluable contribution to the Filipino community in Jeddah. Mr. Esguerra was accompanied to the program by his wife, Judith.
A native of Batangas, Mr. Atoy Esguerra has been in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for thirty-nine years and started as an X-ray technician at Dr. Erfan Hospital. He is currently the Magnetic Imaging Supervisor of the said hospital and was one of those who spearheaded the hospital’s use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging. He was also former President of the Batangas Organization and project coordinator of Kaagapay ng Bawat OFW Advocacy Group in Jeddah.
In 2018, the Esguerra Family was among the Filipino families recognized at the 1st Huwarang Overseas Pamilyang Pilipino Award (HOPPA), an annual program of the Social Welfare Attache’s Office and Jeddah PCG that pays tribute to OFW families in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia who have shown strong family ties, demonstrated traditional Filipino values, and created a positive impact in the community where they live, local or overseas, in spite of the many challenges of living abroad. Mr. Esguerra is returning to the Philippines with the same wife whom he married 35 years ago, and to the same family that he and wife Judith raised with such dedication and devotion through the years. Today, they are proud parents of a lawyer, nurse, and an economist.
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Mr. Fortunato (2nd from right) and Mrs. Judith Esguerra (rightmost) receive certificates of appreciation from Consul General Edgar Badajos for their untiring support to the Consulate and in the promotion and protection of the welfare of OFWs in Jeddah. Also with them are Consul Mary Jennifer Dingal.
Mr. Esguerra shares his story as migrant worker and OFW advocate in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for almost four decades.
